The present invention is directed generally to the field of fluids management and distribution. More particularly, this invention relates to a highly efficient method and apparatus for the control of fluids, and especially liquids, distribution.
Fluid distribution, as currently practiced in the art, clings to a standardized, though inefficient, methodology. Practitioners fail to take advantage of the fluid nature of liquids and gasses, and thus lose efficiency through a distribution and dispensing process that is poorly mated to their product. Currently, the distribution of liquid from a producer to end users typically involves transferring the liquid into individual containers, such as bottles, jugs, drums, etc. that are handled manually using cumbersome and expensive methods. The transfer of the liquid product into the individual containers also adds unnecessary costs to the distribution since the user typically discards the container after removing the liquid from it.
Liquid distribution, as practiced in the art, adds massive unnecessary costs to the liquid product, including the cost of transport, distribution, and the recycling of the unnecessary intermediary containers. In addition to the costs and the environmental impact of the containers and their disposal, all of the traditional distribution costs (labor/handling, facilities, equipment, theft, damage, etc.) become part of the product""s final cost.
The transport and delivery of liquid products in individual intermediate containers has a number of other disadvantages. To deliver the liquid filled containers, one must enter the premises and manually deposit them. This requirement contributes a substantial portion of time and labor for delivery, and in many cases, severely restricts the times of day during which the delivery can be made to those in which the owner or operator of the facility is available to allow access.
FIG. 1A depicts a typical prior art method for distributing liquids. The product starts in bulk form at the producer 102, and is packaged into individual containers such as jugs, bottles, drums, etc. 103. The individual containers are typically packaged into boxes, the boxes are transferred into cartons, and assembled onto pallets for transportation 104. The supplier must then warehouse the pallets and perform manual order picking, counting, and recording of the material 105. The supplier takes orders 106 from wholesalers, and transports the goods 107 to the wholesaler 108. The wholesaler must have facilities for receiving, warehousing and distributing the packaged goods. The wholesaler receives customer orders and ships the products 109 requested to each customer. Normally, the customer must be present to receive the goods, as entry into the premises is required to handle and store 110 the goods. Once at the customer""s location, the fluid product typically must be unpacked before its use 111. Conventionally, the customer must maintain a purchasing department to monitor the inventory, and place orders for more goods when appropriate. Furthermore, the customer must have a sufficient infrastructure and related overhead to accommodate and pay for the recycling 112 or disposal of the containers and associated packaging in which the liquid goods arrived.
Systems exist, such as for the distribution of various grades of gasoline to gas stations, in which certain liquids are delivered in bulk from a supplier to a customer location for being dispensed to an end user. Such prior art systems do not, however, permit the supplier to effectively and automatically control the supply chain, both for more effectively matching its own production or acquisition of the liquids to the market demand, and for ensuring the maintenance of adequate supplies of the various liquids at the customer site. Such existing systems further do not permit the supplier to ensure that the liquids dispensed to the end user still meet the supplier""s quality standards when dispensed.
It is clear that there exists a need for a highly efficient method of distributing fluids in bulk form that monitors and controls the dispensing and quality of the fluid while at the customer""s site.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method and system for efficiently maintaining an adequate supply of a plurality of different fluids at customer sites by controlling the periodic delivery of needed amounts of such fluids to such sites from a bulk supplier of such fluids, in which the supplier maintains bulk supplies of such fluids and periodically, i.e., from time to time, delivers needed amounts of such fluids from its bulk supplies to mini-bulk tanks at the customer sites using a vehicle including a separate bulk tank for each of the fluids. The customer sites each include a separate container, in the form of a mini-bulk tank for each of the fluids being delivered. The customer site has a sensor system for monitoring information concerning the fluid in the mini-bulk tanks, such as the amount of fluid in each of the containers. This monitoring of the fluids in the mini-bulk tanks can be done by, e.g., sensing the fluid level or pressure in the container or by sensing the amount of fluid dispensed from the container. The sensor system associated with a container can be located, e.g., at the container or at a dispensing point. The fluids are dispensed from the mini-bulk tanks to end-users. The fluids may be dispensed for consumption, e.g., a beverage, or for use, e.g., dispensing fluids to an end user""s car or for use in an industrial process. The monitored information concerning the level of fluid in each of the mini-bulk tanks is automatically transmitted to the supplier, which uses such information to determine the amount of each fluid to be delivered to each customer site during the next periodic delivery.
Advantageously, the vehicle delivering the fluids from to the customer can use a multi-conduit hose that has separate flow channels for each bulk tank on the vehicle and is terminated in a multi channel connector that mates with a multi-channel receptacle on the exterior of each customer""s site. The multi-channel receptacle is connected by separate flow channels to the customer""s mini-bulk tanks for allowing the efficient, simultaneous delivery of the separate fluids to the appropriate containers.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the sensing system at the customer""s site can monitor other information concerning conditions at the customer site, such as the temperature, humidity, fluid characteristics, etc. for display to the customer and/or for transmission to the supplier.
The method and system of the invention is appropriate for use with a wide variety of liquids, gases, powders, pellets and other particulate solids that will flow through the delivery lines from the vehicle to the mini-bulk tanks at the customer site. These materials may also be propelled by a variety of known propellants.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, all elements of the distribution system can duplicate the supplier""s optimal storage conditions for the fluids in order to prevent any contamination or deterioration thereof before they are dispensed to the end user. For instance, the temperature, atmosphere and humidity to which the fluids are exposed at all stages of the method of the invention from supplier to end user can be controlled to be at optimal conditions.